4A.–(1) A person is guilty of an offence if, with intent to
cause a person harassment, alarm or distress, he–

(a) uses threatening, abusive or
insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or

(b) displays any writing, sign or
other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,

thereby causing that or another person
harassment, alarm or distress.

(2) An offence under this section may be committed in a
public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words
or behaviour are used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation is
displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and the person who is harassed,
alarmed or distressed is also inside that or another dwelling.

(3) It is a defence for the accused to prove–

(a) that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to
believe that the words or behaviour used, or the writing, sign or other visible
representation displayed, would be heard or seen by a person outside that or
any other dwelling, or

(b) that his conduct was reasonable.

(4) A constable may arrest without warrant anyone he
reasonably suspects is committing an offence under this section.

(5) A person guilty of an offence under this section is
liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months
or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or both

Harassment,
alarm and distress

Public
Order Act 1986, s. 5

5.–(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he–

(a) uses threatening, abusive or
insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or

(b) displays any writing, sign or
other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,

within the hearing or sight of a person
likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.

(2) An offence under this section may be committed in a
public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words
or behaviour are used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation is
displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and the other person is also inside
that or another dwelling.

(3) It is a defence for the accused to prove–

(a) that he had no reason to believe that there was any
person within hearing or sight who was likely to be caused harassment, alarm or
distress, or

(b) that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to
believe that the words or behaviour used, or the writing, sign or other visible
representation displayed, would be heard or seen by a person outside that or
any other dwelling, or

(c) that his conduct was reasonable.

(4) A constable may arrest a person without warrant if–

(a) he engages in offensive conduct
which a constable warns him to stop, and

(b) he engages in further offensive
conduct immediately or shortly after the warning.

(5) In subsection (4) 'offensive conduct' means conduct the
constable reasonably suspects to constitute an offence under this section, and
the conduct mentioned in paragraph (a) and the further conduct need not be of
the same nature.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under this section is
liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard
scale.

Fear or
provocation of violence

Public
Order Act 1986, s. 4

4.–(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he–

(a) uses towards another person
threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or

(b) distributes or displays to
another person any writing, sign or other visible representation which is
threatening, abusive or insulting,

with intent to cause that person to
believe that immediate unlawful violence will be used against him or another by
any person, or to provoke the immediate use of unlawful violence by that person
or another, or whereby that person is likely to believe that such violence will
be used or it is likely that such violence will be provoked.

(2) An offence under this section may be committed in a
public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words
or behaviour are used, or the writing, sign or other visible representation is
distributed or displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and the other person is
also inside that or another dwelling.

(3) A constable may arrest without warrant anyone he
reasonably suspects is committing an offence under this section.

(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section is
liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months
or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or both.

6 Mental element: miscellaneous.(3) A person is guilty of an offence under section 4 only if he
intends his words or behaviour, or the writing, sign or other visible
representation, to be threatening, abusive or insulting, or is aware that it may
be threatening, abusive or insulting.
(4) A person is guilty of an offence under section 5 only if he intends his
words or behaviour, or the writing, sign or other visible representation, to be
threatening, abusive or insulting, or is aware that it may be threatening,
abusive or insulting or (as the case may be) he intends his behaviour to be or
is aware that it may be disorderly2.
(5) For the purposes of this section a person whose awareness is impaired by
intoxication shall be taken to be aware of that of which he would be aware if
not intoxicated, unless he shows either that his intoxication was not
self-induced or that it was caused solely by the taking or administration of a
substance in the course of medical treatment.
(6) In subsection (5) “intoxication” means any intoxication, whether caused by
drink, drugs or other means, or by a combination of means.

8 InterpretationIn this Part-
“dwelling” means any structure or part of a structure occupied as a person’s
home or as other living accommodation (whether the occupation is separate or
shared with others) but does not include any part not so occupied, and for this
purpose “structure” includes a tent, caravan, vehicle, vessel or other temporary
or movable structure;
“violence” means any violent conduct, so that-
(a) except in the context of affray, it includes violent conduct towards
property as well as violent conduct towards persons, and
(b) it is not restricted to conduct causing or intended to cause injury or
damage but includes any other violent conduct (for example, throwing at or
towards a person a missile of a kind capable of causing injury which does not
hit or falls short).